Mick Jagger: God gave me everything!
An old, overlooked song by Jagger offers glory to God instead of man
Certain songs, such as “Stairway to Heaven,” tend to get lots of attention, and get played over and over again on radio, streaming, etc. But then there are other songs that are overlooked or even forgotten. The song “God Gave Me Everything” by Mick Jagger is one of the forgotten ones.
Jagger, of course, is known for his work as the singer for the Rolling Stones. The Stones have had many hits and written tons of great songs. But Jagger also did some solo work, and back in 2001 he wrote “God Gave Me Everything” with Lenny Kravitz (who also played guitar on the song). The song appeared on the “Goddess in the Doorway” album.
Why am I writing about it here? Well, in rock and roll, there aren’t a lot of songs that glorify God and that also sound great. In the case of “God Gave Me Everything,” the lyrics, singing, guitar, etc. all came together to make an unforgettable combination.
The lyrics of God Gave Me Everything
Before I go further, here are the lyrics:
You can see it in a clear blue sky
You can see it in a woman's eyes
You can hear it in your baby's cries
You can hear it in your lover's sighs
You can touch it in a grain of sand
Yeah, hold it right there in the palm of your hand
Feel it 'round you everyday
And hear what I've got to say, yeah
God gave me everything I want
Come on, I'll give it all to you
God gave me everything I want
Now come on, I'll give it all to you
I saw it in the midnight sun
And I felt it in the race I won
And I hear it in the windy storm
And I feel it in the icy dawn
And I smell it in the wine I taste
And I see it in my father's face
And I hear it in a symphony
And I feel it in the love you show for me, yeah
God gave me everything I want
Come on, I'll give it all to you
God gave me everything I want
Come on, I'll give it all to you
God gave me everything I want
I can't stop, can't stop, I'm still looking, now
God gave me everything I want
A-come on, I'll give it all to you
"Crazy," you said
"It's all in your head"
God gave me everything I want
Come on, I'll give it all to you
God gave me everything I want
Come on, I'll give it all to you
God gave me everything I want
I can't stop, can't stop, I'm still looking, now
God gave me everything I want
A-come on, I'll give it all to you
God gave me everything I want
Come on, I'll give it all to you
God gave me everything I want
Come on, I'll give it all to you
God gave me everything I want
I can't stop, can't stop, can't stop, can't stop, yeah
God gave me everything I want
A-come on, come on
I find the lyrics to be beautiful and evocative of God’s glory as viewed through human eyes. But what is astounding here is that it is Mick Jagger who is saying it. Jagger, like many rock stars, can seem like a prima donna and even a bit of a narcissist at times. He’s never been one to shy away from the limelight, that’s for sure.
But that is not the case in this song. Here he is stepping back, offering gratitude to God, and stating clearly that what he has, what he is, and what he has achieved have all come from God. How many rock stars have ever said anything like that before? I cannot think of any, but if you know of one or more, please post in the comments.
I also like how he notices the small things and connects them to God’s glory. The little things in life are easy to miss as we go through our days, but if you step back for a moment, you have to marvel at the wonder of such things as part of God’s creation. A sunrise, a flower, your dog, your food—it all comes from God.
Mick Jagger versus John Lennon
The song indicates that there is far more to Mick Jagger than meets the eye. Oh sure, he is still the over-the-top rocker and all that, but there’s a core to the man that comes out in this song in a way that no song by the Stones even comes close to achieving. This song is deeply personal, and likely reflects a faith that has probably been kept cloaked from public view for many years.
In this sense, Jagger is almost the opposite of John Lennon. I wrote about Lennon’s death and the insipid song “Imagine” a while ago, and I believe that “God Gave Me Everything” is the antidote to Lennon’s human-centered babble that seeks to raise man to the level of God. Lennon’s world view also likely cost him his life, as I noted in my article.
Jagger understands fully that he is not God, and that he owes everything to God. But Lennon’s lyrics and worldview deny the power of God, and seek to convince listeners that man does not need God, and can be raised to the level of God. Could there be a starker contrast between the two men?
God Gave Me Everything rocks!
Sometimes songs that evoke God can be softer and less powerful in terms of the musical punch they wield, but not "God Gave Me Everything." This song rocks! It’s high-energy music that rolls along right to the end, and it never loses its masculine edge. It’s a song of strength, but the strength doesn’t come from man; it comes from God.
Here are two videos for you to experience the song. Play the first one, as it just has the song playing, without the visuals of the official video. I want you to experience the song without the distracting visuals first. Close your eyes, and just let the sound of the song sweep you off your feet and bring you closer to God.
I found the official video a bit of a disappointment, as the visuals in it don’t match well with the lyrics and the overall experience of the song. But I offer it to you anyway to assuage your curiosity. I prefer to close my eyes and listen to the song without the visuals.
God Gave Me Everything: One of Mick Jagger’s best songs
When the history of Mick Jagger’s career is written, I believe that this song will be one of the crown jewels of his works. It might have been overlooked or even forgotten during his lifetime, but it will withstand the test of time in a way that some of his other songs will not.
We should all be thankful for what we have, because God truly did give us everything. 🙏🏻
Update: How did I miss the cross Jagger has on his shirt in the video? It’s very visible at the beginning of the video:
How you can support my writing
Please share this post
All contributions from readers are greatly appreciated. Thanks! 👍🏻 💀
Yeah, I know, this is a helluva long comment ... Please forgive me for that. Great rant, friend -- as usual. I'd never heard boo about that Jagger song myself either -- but it's a keeper! And while, like you, I can't think of a lot of rock songs that promote God, I certainly can find a "keeper" of a COUNTRY song that fills the bill: Alan Jackson's "When God Paints," off his "Angels and Alcohol" album, issued in 2015:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSorUl1pBbg
Here's the lyrics:
When God paints, birds sing
He colors every feather on a sparrow's wings
When God paints, the wind blows
With a stroke of love, he dips his brush in the rainbow
Sometimes I take for granted the simple things
I can be His biggest critic when it starts to rain
But there's always a bigger picture I can't explain
When God paints, the heart beats
Life begins, season ends and lovers meet
And I've learned that sometimes
It's not always black and white or well defined
When God paints
Sometimes I take for granted the simple things
I can be His biggest critic when it starts to rain
But there's always a bigger picture I can't explain
When God paints, we dance
And I reach across the canvas and I take your hand
And my world is so complete
When I look at you, a masterpiece is all I see
When God paints
Sometimes I take for granted the simple things
I can be His biggest critic when it starts to rain
But there's always a bigger picture I can't explain
When God paints
I pray I always see the beauty inside the frame
When God paints
I liked that song so much I cast it to some pictures Barbie and I took on our South Carolina trip that year, that I thought were at least good enough to qualify for a "When God Paints" song ... If you're REALLY curious about that one, you can find that video here (scroll down towards the bottom), where "When God Paints" starts up at 27:15:
https://bradleyharrington.substack.com/p/barbie-and-is-south-carolina-blast
OK, this thing's 'way long enough ... "Thank You, Our Father, Who Art In Heaven ..." -- Brad
Wow! You sure Mick didn't write that song about himself? Believing himself to be God and the source of everything good in the world? Just kidding -- thanks for bringing this song to my attention! I cannot believe that this is the same Mick Jagger I thought I knew from his prima donna public image, but I guess it just goes to show, people will surprise you!
You're right that there aren't many rock songs (or popular music generally) that glorify God. Two of the best are U2's "Gloria" (before Bono sold his soul to Klaus Schwab): https://youtu.be/ybYgP48X2DY?si=9Nh4C_Pj9gLeuXy7; and of course the Doobie Brothers "Jesus Is Just Alright with Me:" https://youtu.be/OBwlr65TbJA?si=Pmt10I0U_aibsGCv.